Plumbing appliance.



H. H. HARRIS.

PLUMBING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED Aue.a 1916.

Patented May 15, 1917.

I I h,

im-, H

UNITED sirATEs Parinvr` OFFICE;

. HUGHH. HARRIS, F ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

PLUMBING APPLIANCE.

To all who-m t may concern:

Be it knownl that I, HUGH HAMILTON -HARR1s, a citizen ofthe United States, and

a resident of Alexandria, in the county of -Alexandria and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in "Plumbing Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an vimprovement in plumbling` appliances and `has particular referencey to a device employed in making repairs tobroken pipes and the like.

The method now commonly employed, by

. those skilled in the art, in repairing breaks in water pipes is .to rst freeze the pipe i soas to prevent the flow of water and then solder the joint. ThisI is known to be an inconvenient. and uncertain process in that much time and labor is unnecessarily expended and the flow` of water cannot always b e eiectively stopped.- Also, when thimbles or couplings' are used informing the joint, itis difficult to maintain the same in alinement withthe pipe to be repaired -in order to insure a straight joint.

- The present invention is designed to over.

l come the above' difficulties by providing a device or tool consisting of relatively ad- Vjustable members for compressing ane'x- 3'0l pansible element which is adapted to eii'ectively plug the pipe beyond the break ,and i thus stop the flow of water, oneof said relatively adjustable members" having 'mounted thereon a longitudinally movable centering and aliningy element whichy en gages the thimble or coupling inorder tov `prv pe'rlyl position the same relative to the `pipe to be repaired.

i j. Another object is the provision of'a device of this character which is extremely simple 'in construction, thus reducing the cost ofv manufactureto a minimum, and which is effectiveA 'in carrying out the` purpose for which it is designed.`

Y .The inventive idea involved liscapable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown' inthe ac- .company'ing drawing, wherein- ,Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the device nstructed in accordance with the inven2` tion. l Fig the application thereof.

L 2l isl a longitudinal sectionl showing Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 191'?.

Applitatio ala August s, 191e. .serial No. 112,954.

Fig. 3Ais a detail perspective View of the centering and alining element employed in connection with the invention. There is illustrated in the accompanying drawing what is now believed to be a preferred form of the invention wherein the numeral 5 indicates an elongated rod yhaving a washer 6 secured to one extremity -while its other' end 'is screw threaded asv shown at 7. 'Af hollow longitudinally adjustable sleeve memberl 8 is mounted upon the rod 5in spaced relation and .is also exteriorly screw-threaded upon its outer end, or that endadjacent the screw threads 7,

as indicated at 9. The inner or'opposite end of said sleeve member preferably carries a 1washer 10 similar to the washer 6 and said washers have interposed' therebetween yan expansible element 11, preferably made of V rubber. A .smally wing'nut 12' is mounted upon the end 7 of therod 5 and has a flange 13 adapted to engage the interior of the of a pipe.

In making new joints, a thimble 14 is em! ployed and is first mounted `over the sleeve member 8 before the latter is inserted into a pipe, vand then has one end projectedl into the broken-end of the pipe4 which has been previously flared by hammering, 'as is usual.vv g

It now becomes necessary to center. the -thimble and alme the same in order tomake a straightjoint and, to this end, the sleeve member 8 rcferablyy has loosely mounted thereon a rusto conical element 15 in the form of a plate having a central opening v i 16-for receiving said sleeve 8. The small end of the plate 1,5 preferably extends in the direction ofthe expansible .element 11 and is adapted to` be projected into the 'adjacent'end of the thimble 14 by me ns'- of a large wing nut 17 mounted upon t e screw ythreads 9 of the sleeve 8. By thus operating the element 15 until the same engages the entire inner circumference of the" said end of the thimble 14 it will be apparent that said thimble will be adjusted so that the same will be centered and the longitudinal axis thereof in substantial alinement with that of the pipe.

The wing nut 1T is preferably made larger than the nut 12 and has its wings 18 provided with concaved gripping edges 19 whereby the -operator may secure a firm hold upon said .wings and thus extract the device from the pipe. The ready and quick withdrawal of the device may also be effected by simply unscrewing the nut 12 whereupon the pressure of the water will force the entire device outwardly.

Vhat is claimed is 1. A device of the class described comprising relatively adjustable members, an

expansible element controlled by said members and adapted to be inserted into a pipe whereby to plug the same, and means for alining a thimble and retaining the same alined with said pipe, whereby the longitudinal axes of said members, said pipe and said thimble will coincide.

2. A device of the class described comprising relatively adjustable members, an expansible element controlled by said members and adapted to be inserted into a pipe whereby to plug the same, and means carried by one of said adjustable members for alining a thimble .and retaining the same alined with said pipe, whereby the longi tudinal axes of said members, said pipe and said thimble will coincide.

3. A device of the class described comj prising relatively adjustable members, an

expansible element controlled by said members, and a frusto-conical plate adjustable longitudinally of said relatively adjustable members for alining and centering a thimble with a pipe to be repaired.

'.l. A device of the class described comprising relatively adjustable members, an expansible element controlled by said members, and a frusto-conical plate adjustable longitudinally of said relatively adjustable members for almlng and centering a thimble with a pipe to be repaired and having a relatively adjustable members for alining and centering a thimble with a pipe to be repaired, and means carried by one of said adjustable members for adjusting the first.

thimble wherebyv to center and aline the same with said pipe.

7. A device of the class described comprising a rod, a sleeve member surrounding the same and adjustable longitudinally thereof, an expansible element adapted to be compressed by the adjustment of said sleeve member whereby to plug a pipe, a frustoconical element slidablel on said sleeve member and adapted to engage one end of a thimble 'whereby to center and aline the same With said pipe, and a wing nut adjustable on said sleeve member for moving said frusto-conical element to its centering and alining position.

8. A device of the class described comprising an expansible element, means for.

expanding the same, adjustable means ear- /ried by said expanding means for alining and centering a thimble with a pipe to be 

